Relatives say Vivienne Otero’s five children, ages seven to sixteen, have moved in with her brother after Sunday night’s killing.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A West Palm Beach mother of five was found shot to death in a parked car late Sunday near Clematis St. and Sapodilla Ave., and police say her ex-boyfriend was arrested a day later and ordered held without bail. The victim was identified by family as Vivienne Otero.
Police say the case is now a domestic homicide investigation centered on a longtime on-and-off relationship. Detectives allege the ex-boyfriend, 51-year-old Dimitri Reynolds, called 911 after the shooting and later flagged down an officer in the same downtown corridor. Court records show he faces a second-degree murder charge as investigators review earlier calls and documented disputes. Otero’s brother, Jaime Otero, said he has taken in her children and is arranging care while relatives plan services.
Officers were dispatched around 9:45 p.m. Sunday after a man called for help from the intersection just west of the city’s main entertainment strip. An officer driving east on Clematis reported being flagged down by a man who said he had shot his girlfriend and believed she was dead. Police followed him to a 2018 Nissan Rogue and found Otero in the front passenger seat with a gunshot wound to the left cheek; fire-rescue pronounced her dead at 9:47 p.m. In interviews, Jaime Otero called his sister his “best friend” and said, “She always had my back,” describing her as focused on raising her five children.
Investigators say Otero and Reynolds had recently ended a nine-year, on-and-off relationship and shared one child together. The day before the shooting, police were called to Otero’s home after a threat was reported involving a gun; when officers arrived with Otero and her new boyfriend, the suspect had left, according to a police account. After Sunday’s gunshot, Reynolds allegedly told a 911 dispatcher the weapon “went off” during a fight before the call disconnected. Detectives later documented the close-range wound and collected evidence from the SUV in the downtown block where the car was parked. Authorities have not said why Otero was in the vehicle with Reynolds that night.
Family members say Otero’s children, ages seven to sixteen, moved into their uncle’s home this week. “That’s my sister’s kids. That’s what she wanted. I’m going to carry that out,” Jaime Otero said, adding that the past two days have been a blur of funeral planning and logistics. He said his sister was proud of her children’s school progress and sports and would “literally catch a grenade for her kids.” Neighbors near the downtown corridor reported hearing sirens around 10 p.m. but said the street quickly returned to normal after investigators cleared the scene.
Records show Reynolds appeared before a judge Monday and was ordered held at the Palm Beach County Jail without bail on a charge of domestic second-degree murder with a firearm. Police say additional interviews and evidence reviews are ongoing, including prior domestic-related calls involving the pair. Detectives have not released full ballistic findings or a final timeline of events leading up to the gunshot. No additional suspects are being sought, and police have not announced further charges.
The intersection of Clematis and Sapodilla sits at the edge of downtown’s restaurant and nightlife row, where weekend crowds fill sidewalks. Officers cordoned a small stretch of the block during the initial response but reopened traffic after crime-scene processing. The Nissan was towed for forensic work. Police said they are examining phone records and 911 audio while awaiting lab results on the firearm and residue testing.
As of Wednesday morning, Reynolds remained jailed pending formal filing decisions by prosecutors. Police said any public release of the 911 recording will follow standard records-review procedures. Family members said funeral arrangements are being made and that relatives from out of state are expected to travel later this week.
Author note: Last updated December 17, 2025.